Volunteering & Community Service

Volunteers are crucial to the success of the library. Volunteer workers have each contributed hundreds of hours of time and effort in several capacities at RHPL and its mini-branches.

Please read our volunteer policy for all requirements. The following is a list of departments within the Library that accept volunteers:

Circulation Department

• Accepts applications for general volunteer work or to satisfy specific obligations such as court-ordered, school honors programs (grades 9-12), or other service organization requirements.

• Community service applicants must be residents of the library’s legal service area – Rochester, Rochester Hills, or Oakland Township.

• Volunteers are matched with weekly shifts and must commit to a regular schedule.

• Applications are processed weekly. You will receive a reply with either an available shift or a notice that you have been added to the waitlist.

• Drop-in hours are not currently available.

Youth Department

• Accepts applications for volunteers ages 14 and older.

• Volunteers are used on an as-needed basis and hours cannot be guaranteed.

• Drop-in hours are not currently available.

Teen Department

• Accepts applications for teens in grades 7-12.

• Teens are asked to attend monthly Teen Advisory Board (TAB) meetings to be eligible to volunteer. See the event calendar for dates and times.

• Drop-in hours are not currently available.

Outreach Department

• Accepts applications for adult volunteers in one of our mini-branch locations.

• The Outreach Department will contact all eligible volunteers.

Friends of the Library

• Please fill out a Friends Volunteer application.

• Accepts applications for those who would like to volunteer either in the Friends Store or at book sales.

• The Friends of the Library will contact all eligible volunteers.